Macie and Ashly were in the pool, standing in waist-deep water, leaning against the side. Karon joined them, walking gracefully in, using the steps. Cassidy opted for the diving board. As she sprang high in the air, she peeked over the fence, but Laura was not on her patio. She splashed into the water headfirst, surfacing near the others. It was a warm afternoon, bordering on hot. No wonder Laura wasn’t outside. Then she smiled. Maybe she was upstairs in her room. Maybe she was watching. She gave an impish grin as she stared at the windows, but she saw no movement and the blinds were closed. She was oddly disappointed.

“I was just commenting on your flowers,” Macie said. “Ashly tells me your neighbor does your yard for you.”

“She does. She’s great with flowers. You should see her patio and flowerbeds.”

“Why on earth would your neighbor do your yardwork?”

Cassidy shrugged. “I asked, she agreed. I do pay her, you know.”

“She’s kinda…different,” Ashly interjected.

Cassidy frowned. “Different?”

“I mean, I only saw her the one time, but…” She looked at Macie and Karon. “Baseball cap, dirty shorts. She was filthy!”

“She was working,” Cassidy said, feeling the need to defend Laura. “In the dirt.” And Cassidy happened to think that Laura looked really cute in her baseball cap.

“Is she gay?” Macie asked.

“I assumed…the way she was dressed,” Ashly said.

They both looked at her and Cassidy nodded. “Yes, she is.”

“Well, that’s a plus for a neighbor,” Karon said with a grin. “A dyke who does yards.”

Cassidy cringed. Laura? A dyke? They were so off base. Sure, she was a little on the tomboy side. She certainly wasn’t like these women. She’d never seen Laura with makeup on. In fact, she’d seen her only in her cutoff jeans while working and her gray, cotton shorts while having coffee on her patio—with a T-shirt and no bra. And yes, she wore a baseball cap while working and she had bedhead in the morning. She smiled at that thought, then noticed that the others were looking at her. Her smile faded.

“Not a dyke. Tomboy.”

“Well, I guess we don’t have to worry about her stealing you away. A tomboy is so not for you.”

“She was kinda cute, though,” Ashly conceded.

Cassidy smiled again. Yeah, Laura was kinda cute, especially with that streak of mud she’d had across her cheek.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Laura pushed the tree limb aside and went deeper into the woods. They were thick and green…and heavy, much like the air around her. It was a hot and humid day and her tank top clung to her skin. Back here in the woods, there was no breeze to stir the air.